VariousTraveler 03

As this is Six Degrees summing up of sorts in the years best dance-world music sounds, one may not be surprised to spot dZihan & Kamien, MIDIval PunditZ, Bob Holroyd and Karsh Kale in the track listing. It is surprising however, that they managed to sum up some of the best selections into a mere ten tracks. That said, the collection does kick off to a good start with Garry Hughes "Bobi Cespedes meets the Rockers dub remix of Cespedess song "Rezos. Dzihan & Kamiens "Still the Jazz remixed by Dormeister & Rodney Hunter Zundapp wanes in comparison, hardly managing to climb out of its one-dimensional chill out lethargy before coming to a close. In contrast, Lumins "Izgrala stands out with its ambient drum & bass rhythms (albeit a little too new age in parts for some tastes). MIDIval PunditZ continue to surprise in terms of the territory they are willing to venture into, rivalling Talvin Singhs virtual status quo position as the king of Asian electronic/programming music. "Dark Escape happily experiments with tabla as a potential accompanying percussion instrument in a techno-like track: not untried previously, but successfully pulled off by the duo. Half-way into the collection is the hidden jewel by Ojos de Brujo. The Catalan collective reinvigorate their traditional flamenco and Catalan rumba style by incorporating the hip-hop method into their own form. "Quien Engana No Gana is spectacular, flawless and sadly, only a little over three minutes long. Voting for Ojos de Brujo as one of the years best is a delightful revelation for listeners eager to find new sounds. Look out for this collective.
(Six Degrees)